FSB launches search for West Midlands’ best SMEs

THE Federation of Small Businesses has launched a new UK-wide business awards programme to promote and celebrate innovation and success.
The FSB Streamline UK Business Awards runs across 12 geographical areas around the UK, with area finalists selected to go through to a national final in April 2013.
Firms in the West Midlands have been invited to nominate themselves in four categories:
• Business Innovation
• Online Business of the Year
• Micro Business of the Year
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year
The four businesses chosen in each category will go before a panel of independent judges to be assessed for the national final. One of the four finalists will also be selected as winner and receive a cash prize of £500.
The West Midlands winner along with the three remaining category finalists will automatically be entered into the national final for their category, with £4,500 up for grabs for each national category winner. The judges will then select one overall business as winner of the FSB Streamline UK Business of the Year Award. The winner of this award will receive an additional £5,000, and a business consultancy package worth a further £5,000 to help them to grow their business.
The Business Innovation and Online Business of the Year awards are open to any UK registered businesses employing 250 people or less, whilst the Micro Business of the Year is open to any business that employs 10 employees or less. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award is open to anyone aged 30 or under on December 31, 2012.
The closing date for entries is December 31, 2012.
The awards have been designed by the FSB and card payment acquiring business Streamline to raise the profile of small businesses and to highlight the crucial role they are playing in kick-starting and supporting the UK economy in the current economic crisis.
Ian O’Donnell, FSB Warwickshire & Coventry chairman, said: “As with everything that we do, these awards are designed to promote the interests of small businesses and entrepreneurs all over the UK. We are really looking forward to using this awards programme as an opportunity to identify and engage with some of the most innovative and successful small business in the UK.”